This invention relates to the art of working platforms for supporting persons performing work on structures, and more particularly to a new and improved work platform installed below the deck or roadway of a bridge.
It is necessary to periodically clean, repaint and rehabilitate the surfaces of steel bridges to prevent corrosion and deterioration of the steel supporting structure. This, in turn, creates the need to provide a safe and effective support for workmen performing the cleaning and painting of the surfaces beneath the deck or roadway of the bridge, along with concrete removal. In addition, environmental concerns and regulations give rise to the need for containing the debris from the cleaning operation as well as paint residue and spillage.
A number of work platforms for bridges have been proposed but many are complex structures and time consuming to erect and dismantle. Other prior art platforms are not sufficiently rigid or are limited in height, i.e., the distance between platform flooring and bridge steel structure, due to the manner in which they are attached to the bridge. Some prior platforms extend for only a short distance longitudinally of the bridge and are limited in that respect.
It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a new and improved work platform for use on bridges which is safe, provides a sufficiently rigid support for workmen standing and walking thereon, which is simple in structure, light in weight, and therefore quick, easy and economical to erect and dismantle, which extends for a significant portion of the length of the bridge and which is effective in containing debris from the cleaning and painting operations performed on the bridge.
A typical bridge includes a deck or roadway and steel structure therebelow which is supported on spaced-apart concrete abutments or piers. It would be highly desirable to provide the foregoing improved work platform which can be connected exclusively to the concrete piers or which can be connected exclusively to the bridge steel structure with the added capabilities of adjustments in vertical and horizontal directions and installation on bridges with skewed or angled sections. It also would be highly desirable to provide the foregoing improved work platform wherein platform flooring sections are secured in place in a safe yet easily removable manner.